New year, old fights
by ReallyYesShips
Summary: Something so small, to break something so strong.


**Hi everyone! Of course I'm back with another Juvia x Laxus fanfic. It's short. It's sweet. And it's full of angsty fluff. Enjoy. **

**I just want to thank FantasticNic for their continued support and late night idea conversations. **

**I dont own Fairy Tail, it belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

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"Juvia doesn't want to talk about this anymore!"

"Well tough! We're going to talk about this Juvia."

"No we're not Laxus Sama!"

"Yes we are, you're not going to continue to ignore-"

"No! Juvia thinks Laxus Sama should leave."

"No Juvia we're not finished talking about this!"

"Leave now Laxus Sama."

"If you make me leave now Juvia that's it between us!"

Juvia gasped, this sentence startling her so much she physical took a step back from him. Almost stumbling over herself. Moments passed as her glassy eyes stared at his intense ones until she had composed herself enough to digest his words. Shakily she raised her hand pointing to the door. Trembling as she spoke from trying to conceal the tears desperately trying to break free.

"NOW!"

Laxus was shaking with anger. Not being quite sure if he was more mad at himself or her. Thinking how stupid he was to say this, when it was the last thing he wanted. And then how angry he was at her for giving up on them, on him so quickly, so easily like that. In the blink of an eye, it was over between them. He'd said it himself there was no going back. His breathe lodged in his throat, causing a lump of pain to form, before he turned on his heels and stormed out of her apartment, slamming her door shut so hard it made the room shake. Not even caring if someone saw or heard him (not that they did).

As soon as he was gone Juvia broke down. Dropping to her knees on the floor as the pain washed over her. The waves being so strong it knocked the air out of her as she cried worse than she had ever done in her life. Her body wouldn't stop shaking as she could barely hold onto herself. It just wanting to dissolve to water so it could be washed away so she wouldn't have to try and hold herself together through the pain. It being blantly obvious she was alone. No one cared. No one loved her. And it was all her fault. She didn't want him to leave her. She wanted him to stay and fight for her, for them. To apologize for his words and say he didn't mean them. For him to finally tell her he loved her back, or at the very least that he didn't want to be without her. She had never loved anyone like she loved Laxus. Not even Gray. Her love for Gray was purely admiration. Bordering more on obsession than actual, honest love. The type she had for Laxus was developed, and grew the more she got to know him. It was earned and cherished.

As she had collapsed on the floor. Her sobbing stopped, as she didn't feel like she had any moisture left in her body to shed; the irony not being lost on her as she let out a bitter chuckle. All she could hear was the storm outside as it attacked her windows, not even being able to muster any sympathy for others having to be out and around it as it was nothing compared to how she was feeling on the inside. She didn't know how long she had laid motionless on the floor. It must have been hours as she watched the storm outside gradually lessen, into an eerily quiet and empty atmosphere outside. It was almost like it had become as emotionless and as empty as she felt. She no longer felt the agonizing pain anymore, but she also couldn't feel any warmth or joy. She had become the most empty and broken she had ever felt, making her mind flash back to her days in Phantom Lord, and she couldn't remember a time then that she had ever felt like this. It made her want to cry more, but she just couldn't muster any tears for it. Everything around her seemed blank, plain, as if it wasn't real. It made her wonder if she was even present anymore. Had she washed herself away in that storm? Leaving only the shell of the body she was in.

For weeks Juvia went about her life on auto pilot. She would get up and do her daily chores and then go back to bed for a restless night sleep without Laxus next to her to hold her. Missing his gentle touches and his soft words that were only ever reserved for her. Not one more tear was shed after the day he left. There was nothing Juvia had left to give. She had been avoiding the guild hall like the plague. She knew if she were to come across him, she wouldn't be able to keep herself together. She missed him more than she had missed the sun. He'd become that for her.

But she could no longer refuse to enter the guild hall anymore as it was New Year's Eve. And everyone within Fairy Tail was required to attend the New Year's party so they could rein in the New Year together as a family. Juvia had been dreading this moment, the only real emotion she had been clinging onto as it reminded her that she was still here. She already had her outfit planned from when they were still together, she had got it as a surprise for him. And though it would bring her pain to wear it tonight, she couldn't even think about wearing anything else. Deep down she still wanted to do this for him, it was her present for him after all.

It didn't take her long that night to get ready. She didn't change the way she looked too much than normal. Only adding a small amount of makeup and curling her hair more to sit in bouncy curls around her face. She added his necklace to her neck, because it just wouldn't be complete otherwise and stepped to look in the mirror. The long-sleeved blue gown hugged her curves leaving little to the imagination as one long slit ran up the left side. The deep V-neck was something Juvia wouldn't ever normally wear, but she thought the dress was too beautiful not to. As she looked in the mirror, for the first time in weeks, she actually let a small (almost pitiful) smile grace her lips. She had to hold back tears knowing that no matter what she wore, or how she looked, Laxus wasn't going to come back to her. She had waited, but he hadn't come back. Taking one last sorrow filled look in the mirror, Juvia left to slowly trudge to the guild hall.

As soon as she entered the guild hall, she couldn't stop her eyes from scanning for him. She both wanted and didn't want to see him. But the need to see him again was too great for her not to be disappointed when her eyes never spotted him. The only reasons she could think of was: he was either upstairs, or worse, that he had decided not to come so he didn't have to see her. And that thought hurt her more than she thought it would. She did however spot the members of Team Natsu, and though she really didn't feel like interacting with anyone, she knew she had to keep face. So reluctantly she made her body make itself over to them, plastering a false smile on her face and greeting them as happy as she normally would. They all greeted her as if she hadn't been missing for the past few weeks, and that hurt. She realized she wasn't part of their team, but she thought they were close enough friends for them to notice her disappearance. Wishful thinking.

Unbeknownst to Juvia, they had all noticed her disappearance, and the change in her but they wanted to let her tell them when she was ready. By orders of Gajeel, who explained that if they asked she would just smile and say she was fine, he knew her too well to know that when she was ready she would come to him. For now though, they all sat making cheerful conversation, all of them excitedly counting down to New Years. Some of them were excited because this was the day they were going to kiss the subject of their affection for New Years. And this reminder was almost enough to make Juvia cry. Her smile wobbled and her eyes cast around the room again because she needed him. This was what had been the final straw for them. The last stupid argument that broke them. The fact that they both wanted to kiss each other for New Years, but Juvia said no because people would find out and she wasn't ready for that yet. It was stupid. Out of all the reasons they could have broken up for, it was over a stupid kiss that she wanted anyway!

Then her eyes spotted him. Sitting in the far dark corner of the guild hall with the rest of his team. That's when Juvia's eyes landed on her. This petite blonde girl sat too close next to Laxus to just be friends. She was smiling at him, and he had a smirk on his face. This was the last straw! The fake smile fell from Juvia's face. For the first time in weeks tears started streaming down her face as her body wouldn't stop shaking. She couldn't hear anything but numbing buzzing around her as the tears blurred her vision. A hand reached and touched her, making her jump and turn to look at Gajeel.

"Rain woman, are you alright? What's wrong?" She could hear the worry in his voice, even if it was slight distorted to her. Quickly she forced a painful smile on her face, nodding as she got up.

"Juvia is fine Gajeel-Kun. Juvia needs to leave now. Happy new year." With these parting words she ran out of the guild hall. Knowing full well that if any of them truly wanted to they could catch up with her, but she knew none of them were going to come after her and she was free to break down on her own. She wasn't sure where she was running to, just that she had to run away from him. From the pain that felt like it was tearing her apart. It wasn't until she realized she was in the middle of the woods, all alone and lost did she finally stop running. The trees were so dense that they stopped her rain from reaching her.

Freezing on the spot, she let out a strangled cry and started to collapse until a pair of arms caught her. Holding her tightly to them, so strong it allowed her to think of this physical pain instead. She didn't know who it was, she figured that out of everyone it might be Gajeel. Clinging to his shirt, she pressed herself further to him. It wasn't until she inhaled and recognized the scent, but that it wasn't Gajeel did she push herself away from them. Her eyes widened, she stumbled backwards and the sobs were caught in her throat. She didn't know what to do or say. Laxus' face was the most pained she had ever saw it. He looked as defeated as she did. Slowly he collapsed to his knees, his head hanging. Juvia couldn't stop herself from rushing over to him, holding him tightly in her arms. It was one thing for her to be in pain, but she couldn't stomach seeing him in pain. They sat there on the floor holding desperately onto each other mumbling their apologies.

"Juvia is so sorry Laxus Sama. Juvia has missed you so much. Juvia didn't want to break up, Juvia wanted you to fight for us." Her voice cracked and tears once again were making their way down her cheeks.

"No Juvia, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been pushing you. I told you we would wait for you to be ready for us to tell the guild, I just wanted to spend my New Year's Eve with you. To be able to kiss my girlfriend on New Year's."

"Juvia wanted to kiss you Laxus Sama! But Juvia just didn't want to do it where everyone could see. Juvia wanted to have a private moment with Laxus Sama as they started the New Year together."

"Oh Juvia... I'm sorry, I should have realized."

Juvia just shook her head, pulling back to smile her first honest smile at him for the first time in weeks. They both mumbled at the same time that they had missed the other. Just sitting there staring at each other, not loosening their grips, scarred that they would leave them again. Slowly they made their way back to Laxus'; they still had a lot to talk about, but for now they were just going to enjoy each other's company. As they reached his door, they heard the fireworks signalling the beginning of the New Year. Juvia flung herself at Laxus, and if he wasn't so strong it would have knocked him onto his butt. She pressed loving kisses all over his face, finally ending on his lips. As she pulled back the smile on her face was breath taking.

"Juvia loves Laxus Sama. Laxus Sama doesn't have to say it back, Juvia just needs Laxus Sama to know this because Juvia never wants to lose Laxus Sama ever again."

Laxus couldn't stop an honest smile gracing his face.

"You'll never lose me Juvia. You took my heart on that mission, I don't have it to give to anyone else even if you did leave me."

"Juvia will never leave Laxus Sama."

A thought then occurred to her. The reason she had ran out the guild hall in the first place.

"Laxus Sama... Who was the blonde girl?"

Laxus was taken aback momentarily. Not being sure who she was on about, and then he realized she must have seen the girl at their table. It was now making sense to him why he saw her crying and running out of the guild hall, which made him shoot out of his seat after her. (He had to admit she ran faster than he could have imagined; he was rather impressed.) He didn't even give a thought to how it must have looked to everyone else, but he didn't care. Seeing Juvia crying wasn't something he could ignore. His chuckle made her stare at him intensely.

"She won a competition that Gramps had put out to promote support for the guild. She got to spend a day with the Thunder Legion. Annoying as it was for us, the girl was alright, she said she just wanted to see what it was like to be a mage."

"Oh..." Juvia had never felt so stupid in her life. Her face blushed terribly and she hid it in the crook of his neck.

"You look cute when you're embarrassed." Laxus' deep chuckle made her head snap up and glare at him.

"It's not funny Laxus Sama!"

"Yeah, yeah. You look stunning tonight Juvia."

Juvia's joyful smile filled her face as a deep blush scattered across her cheeks. Laxus started to open his front door, with Juvia still enclosed in his arms. As ridiculous as it may seem, he was still worried she would disappear and leave him if he let her go. Once they were in his house, he hugged her tightly and placed a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"Happy New Year Juvia."

"Happy New Year Laxus Sama."


End file.
